AI-powered fitness tracking

B&R is launching two industrial IoT applications that enable AI-based optimization of machine health and performance. Designed for open integration into any platform, the IIoT Connector serves as a central interface for data-driven services. It provides flexible access to B&R device data in edge and cloud environments. Based on this data, Acopostrak Monitor uses AI-based analytics to support real-time performance optimization and predictive maintenance of B&R's adaptive product handling solutions.

"Many of us use smartwatches and fitness apps to analyze our body data—heart rate, steps, and breathing—to stay healthy and productive," explains Sridharan Rangarajan, Vice President and Global Product Group Manager for Software at B&R. "What fitness tracking is for athletes, industrial IoT solutions are for machines." According to Rangarajan, what makes B&R's approach special is the ease with which data from B&R products can be transformed into measurable improvements in productivity, equipment lifespan, and efficient use of materials and energy. "We wanted a solution that truly works for our customers. That's why we designed our IIoT solutions to integrate seamlessly into any platform and system architecture."

Linking Data with Added Value

When digital transformation projects struggle to deliver significant added value, it's rarely due to a lack of data. The cost and complexity of accessing and analyzing data are usually to blame. Or, as B&R IIoT expert Reinhard Achatz puts it: "The machines already provide us with all the information we need. The trick is finding the right way to hear and understand it." This is precisely the mission of the IIoT Connector, the new containerized application that provides users with open and configurable access to data from B&R assets in any architecture – edge, cloud, or hybrid – in both new and existing facilities.

The IIoT Connector simplifies complex and costly tasks through automatic asset discovery and selective data routing. Based on open communication standards such as OPC UA and MQTT, open edge orchestration frameworks such as Margo, and APIs for direct integration with third-party tools, the IIoT Connector makes integrating B&R device data anywhere a breeze. The IIoT Connector offers more than just access: It transforms complex, B&R-specific data sets into lightweight, standardized formats that can be easily managed in IT systems – making B&R data immediately available for use in cloud environments and corporate infrastructures. It also optimizes daily operations by providing practical insights into hardware configurations, software versions, and available updates.

AI-Powered Health and Performance

Based on the IIoT Connector, technology-specific software can perform contextual analytics to reduce downtime, improve asset utilization, and extend asset lifespans. As the first application of its kind from B&R, Acopostrak Monitor combines B&R's extensive expertise in transportation technology with advanced AI algorithms to transform data from B&R transportation systems into actionable information.

Live status, historical trends, and automatic notifications are presented in intuitive, user-friendly dashboards that can be viewed locally or remotely on HMI panels and mobile devices. "Like a car dashboard, Acopostrak Monitor shows everything you need to know at a glance—so your system runs better and lasts longer," says Achatz.

Dashboards enable faster, more informed decisions throughout the machine's lifespan. Feedback during assembly and commissioning shortens time to market. Condition monitoring and advanced diagnostics minimize downtime and extend component lifespans. Like the IIoT Connector, B&R's data-based service apps are containerized and feature APIs that enable easy integration into any ecosystem. The Acopostrak Monitor derives all required information directly from existing shuttle data—no additional sensor hardware is required.